Bandung, West Java (Antara News) - The West Java provincial administration was in need of supports from all stake holders to attract both domestic and foreign investors to sink their capital in the province, a local official has said.

"The West Java provincial chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and all the stake holders serve as the spearhead to invite both domestic and foreign investors to invest in West Java," secretary of the West Java provincial administration Lex Laksamana said here Sunday.

The business climate in West Java has been conducive to investment, Laksamana said, adding that the derease in the central bank rate also supported the business climate in the province.

"The West Java administration with its program on efforts to empower its economic potential has encouraged businesses especially the small- and medium-scale enterprises to exploit the natural resources so as to speed up the economic growth in the province," he said.

Laksamana also expressed hope business activities like the Indonesia Infrastructure Conference and Exhibition (IICE) 2006 held recently would serve as a `window` to draw investors to West Java.

Laksamana however admitted that the rural areas were still left far behind the urban areas in the infrastrutural development but he had tried to overcome the problem with programs on efforts to develop the rural economy by empowering cooperatives and accelerating the rural development growth.

In the meantime, Chairman of Kadin`s West Java chapter Iwan Darmawan Hanafie urged the government to provide the small- and medium-scale entreprises with more business credit facilities.

On the business climate in West Java, Iwan said it was still good especially with the existence of the Purbaleunyi turnpike as a supporting infstructure to business activities.

"However, still many businesspeople in West Java are reluctant to expand their businesses due to the high bank interest. We hope the bank interest rate would reach 14 percent per year," Iwan said. (*)